Drones for infant diagnosis pilot project on course

Malawi government says a project on the use of drones to increase the test of infants on HIV and AIDS is on course.

The drone can be operated through a mobile phone app –Unicef/2016/Khonje

Health ministry spokesperson Adrian Chikumbe said although the project rolled out in Macrch 2016, it has not officially taken off as their several issues to look in detail before the drones are let in the Malawi skies.

He said some of the issues are determination whether they are the right type of drones for the exercise.

Chikumbe said the drones would be taking samples of blood for infants from rural hard to reach areas for HIV testing and giving back results promptly.

Unicef and other local and international donors initiated the project and the test drones took to the air a few months ago to the amazement and surprise of the majority rural who found it funny to see small planes landing on their soil.